McMahan is like many – watching Jeopardy at home, guessing each answer that comes up on television before the contestants do.
The only difference – she actually got to be one of those contestants.
McMahan has been a fan of the program since she was 6years old.
“My family and I would always watch it together,” the 20-year-old business major said. “We would always quiz each other with questions from the show.”
In early 2008, members from Jeopardy came to her school’s campus in Tallahassee, Fla., to hold auditions for the College Championship Tournament.
She decided to become one of 4,000 hopefuls who would try out for that year’s edition. She was well prepared.
McMahan was studying for Honda Campus All-Star Challenge – an academic competition held for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
After a 50-question quiz, a one-on-one interview and a mock game, it was determined that McMahan had qualified.
“I was pretty sure I was getting in,” she said. “But I was still very surprised. I ran around looking for someone to tell, but no one was around.”
With that, McMahan was off to Madison, Wis., the site of that year’s Jeopardy College Championship. Once there, she had a chance to meet her 14 fellow competitors as well as the show’s host, Alex Trebek.
“Alex is so funny and knowledgeable,” McMahan said. “He mispronounced my name the first time we met. I didn’t mind.”
Taped in March, the process of generating the Jeopardy episodes move at a much more rapid and elongated pace that what’s seen by the average viewer on television.
“Everything started happening very fast,” McMahan said. “They play five games in one day. But it’s a long process. We got (to the site) at 10 a.m. and left at about 10 p.m.”
But in that span, McMahan would have her 15 minutes of fame – at least.
Representing her college proudly, she sported an orange and green FAMU sweatshirt.
The opening round show was broadcast on May 5, 2008. As usual, McMahan watched with the family – her brother Phillip, mother Gayle and father Arthur. Them and about 20 others.
Friends and colleagues gathered at her home in Springfield for a party in her honor.
She jumped out to an early advantage and stayed in front through the first two rounds, building a $1,800 lead. Surely, she’d have a strategy to achieve her success.
“I didn’t really have one,” she said. “Just try to answer as many times as possible.”
McMahan led the game with $9,000 prior to Final Jeopardy The answer asked who said, “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
But whatever suspense was in the arena that day, McMahan didn’t feel any of it. Risking $1,000, she confidently wrote down “Who is Thoreau?” In fact, she knew the answer immediately.
The other two contestants also answered correctly. However, McMahan’s smart wager helped her edge out a win and elicited a roar from the throng of fans at the party.
Her run ended when she lost in the semifinals. McMahan’s prize winnings were the amount she garnered in her opening round victory: $10,000.
“Which I’m about to pay on taxes now,” she said with a chuckle.
McMahan put the money toward vacations, but, she hasn’t spent it all.
“I still have about $5,000 in the bank,” she said.
Next time, dinner is on her.
